Could the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames work out a trade involving Jay Bouwmeester?

Could the Edmonton Oilers pull off a major trade with the arch-rival Calgary Flames to land defenseman Jay Bouwmeester?

Suggestions that Bouwmeester might be available are not new, and they were kicked into high gear by the acquisition of Dennis Wideman. On June 28, the Calgary Herald’s George Johnson opined that the veteran blueliner might be on the way out in an article entitled “Bouwmeester’s departure seems inevitable.” While Johnson did not include a quote from anyone in the organization confirming that Bouwmeester might be on the way out, he did include this interesting gem from Flames general manager Jay Feaster:

“When all the dust settles after the first week of free agency, if there are teams still looking on their blueline, we’re going to get a lot of phone calls. I do believe that’s one of the things that will happen is that the trade market will open up.”

Sportsnet’s Roger Millions has since clarified the Flames’ position on Bouwmeester. While Millions makes it clear that he believes trading Bouwmeester is the right decision, he offers a lukewarm report on the team’s interest in moving the player. The central line? “The Flames say they have not shopped the defenceman but it’s evident they have taken some inquiries.”

This is where the Edmonton Oilers come in. TSN’s free agency panel – particularly Pierre McGuire – made it clear that they felt there was a fit for Bouwmeester in Edmonton. While true, what has always been much less clear is whether the Flames and Oilers can agree on moving a piece far more substantial than Steve Staios – the last player to move between the two teams.

It appears that the Oilers may try. They are one of a group of teams consistently rumoured to be discussing Bouwmeester, though knowing whether those rumours have more of a basis in fact or speculation is problematic. Certainly, Edmonton could use a player like Bouwmeester. Less certain is whether Bouwmeester, who has a no-trade clause, wants to play in his hometown – it certainly didn’t work out for players like Joffrey Lupul and Mike Comrie. Also to be determined is whether the Oilers and Flames can work out a trade for a player of such magnitude.

Bouwmeester’s contract, on the other hand, is not really a problem. Not only does Edmonton have room against the salary cap, but if they could land a defenseman of Bouwmeester’s caliber from free agency on a two-year, $6.68 million/season deal, undoubtedly they wouldn’t think twice about doing it.

What could Edmonton trade? Without knowing what the Flames would be willing to take to part with Bouwmeester, that’s an impossible question to answer. However, from an Oilers perspective I think three players stand out as possible starting points: Ales Hemsky, Ryan Whitney and Nick Schultz. Obviously, a deal involving Whitney would be desirable from an Oilers perspective – he has just one year left on his contract, he’s had injury problems, and in terms of actual dollars he makes just $1.1 million less than Bouwmeester. If Calgary is high on his performance the last few years, maybe he’s a reasonable part of a package.

More likely is a player like Hemsky or Schultz. Both are useful veterans, both have a significant but lesser contract, and both have two years left on their deals. If the Flames are looking primarily to shed salary, perhaps a package centered on Schultz gets the job done (naturally, any such deal would also likely need to include good prospects).

Sam Gagner is another name that comes to mind, but aside from the fact that the Flames have added Roman Cervenka and Jiri Hudler over the summer, it’s difficult to imagine the Oilers trading him to a division rival. He could spend the next decade playing significant minutes for them.

Personally, I think a trade is unlikely.The managers of both the Flames and the Oilers would need to feel comfortable that the deal was not going to blow up in their faces over the long haul, and Bouwmeester would need to agree to a trade. It’s too bad, really ; aside from their proximity to Calgary, Edmonton is a logical trade partner given that they have both need and the ability to take on such a contract.

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